Shared Hosting Tips in Kazakhstan

Less explored countries are always exciting to study when it comes to digital business, as often you can see the process of development starting from scratch, which is harder in the case of European markets, for example.

Kazakhstan was one such market we tried to uncover with Denis Suhachev, CEO at Hoster.kz, the country’s leading hosting and domain provider. The country has been undergoing rapid digitalization through state-supported programs, and the hosting business was at the center of the process.

Hoster.kz Family of Companies

Hoster.kz is not one company, but a family of companies. The office is located in Karaganda, but the company works all over Kazakhstan, and has clients from all over the country too. Hoster.kz is a domain registration and hosting provider, and is accredited to provide .kz domains.

The services provided by the company are:

And the main companies are:

Kazakhstan in Numbers

The population of the country is around 18 million people, with an Internet penetration rate being 55%. The country’s official domain is .kz, and there are currently around 150,000+ .kz domains registered in the country. Denis mentions the great potential as the country is undergoing rapid digitalization. “There is a state program to ensure there is high-speed Internet in all corners of the country, and the internet penetration rate is growing.” The market growth is not phenomenal, but steady: during the last 5 years, the hosting market of the country has grown 1.5 times.

Technical Aspects and Customer Preferences

In the country, there is a law stating that if the site has a .kz domain, it should be hosted in Kazakhstan. Because of this, some companies prefer to host their websites in Russia, EU, or USA servers. However, in the words of Denis, this doesn’t hurt them much because there are nuances such as speed: if people want to have fast websites with small ping, they choose to host their countries in Kazakhstan. Reselling domains is legal, there are no regulations. Per 1 hosting client, there is an average of 2-7 domains. Data centers are often rented from Kazakhtelecom, the state telecom company, or other companies, to ensure the fast performance of websites. The ping in the country is low, standing at 15ms, a bit more for further territories.

Languages and Support in Kazakhstan

Many websites in the country operate only in one or two languages: Kazakh and Russian. The country could be said to be bilingual: some people prefer to speak Kazak, some prefer to speak Russian, and some speak both: there is no preference based on politics or anything else.
Hoster.kz provides support in Kazakh, Russian, and English. The support is available 24/7. “Clients want to receive support at all times. They often come from work, and at night start working on personal projects, and want to be able to have their issues resolved,” mentions Denis.

Pricing vs Quality: What Is More Important for Customers?

“I’d say that when people already had some experience with services that were cheap, but the service wasn’t great, they prefer quality. It, of course, depends on the client: some prefer cheap, others are ready to pay more.” In Kazakhstan, the average price for hosting is around 3 euros/month, but different tariff plans are available. “There are clients who require more time and spectrum of services. People prefer combo services from one provider rather than looking for different providers.”

Website Builders in Kazakhstan

Website builders are becoming popular in Kazakhstan. Many people in the country have never used computers, but almost everyone has access to mobile phones with internet connection. The perception of what a website is is changing, and people want faster websites, not FTPs.

Denis mentions that there are several types of clients:

1. The clients for whom it’s easier to pay a development company and get the website made for them rarely use builders.
2. Clients who are interested in trying new things use website builders more often.

The tendency of using website builders is growing mainly because of online stores. People often launch an online store quickly on some platform or social media, and then soon they want to create a separate online store.

Know-How From Hostens

“The main know-how we have is to be client-oriented. We do everything we can to ensure the best possible experience for our clients.” The company was the first in Kazakhstan to introduce chat support, for example. “The clients can text managers on Whatsapp, Viber, or other messengers and direct their questions.”

Wrapping Up

Kazakhstan is an interesting case to look into to get a glimpse of developments in shared hosting markets, and we can’t wait to see how the digitalization of the country will carry on. This interview is far from being a comprehensive review of the market, but it can be a good place to start understanding it if you are considering entering the market.